


For Science

by justabrain



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: 5 Times, Bittersweet Ending, Death from Old Age, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 21:35:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6676246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justabrain/pseuds/justabrain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five (or so) times FitzSimmons said "For science" through the years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Science

The first time she said it was the second day of classes at the Academy after they had been assigned as chemistry lab partners.

"I was thinking," she had started softly as the professor droned on about a project they would be doing. "Potassium chlorate and some sugar should be a pretty interesting reaction. What do you think, Leopold?"

He bristled at the name. "Fitz," he muttered. 

"Sorry?"

"Call me Fitz. I hate Leopold."

"Well, you'll have to call me Simmons then to make it even. So, what do you think? Of the reaction," she added at the blank stare she got in reply to her question. 

Fitz shrugged. "Don't know if we'd be able to."

"The professor just said we would research our own chemical reaction in pairs. Shall we do that one?"

Fitz shrugged again, and then nodded. 

Simmons smiled. "Well then. Potassium chlorate and sugar. For science."

 

 

–––

 

 

The second time she said it was three years after that chemical reaction had almost gotten them kicked out of the Academy.

"Fitz, what did you do?" she had hissed as they waited in the meeting room for someone to show up.

"What did _I_ do?! What did _you_ do?"

"I haven't done anything! I've just been writing up reports for the last week at least! I've been going out of my mind with boredom."

"Yeah? Well, I've been doing the same. So there."

The room was silent for a moment. "So if I didn't do anything," Simmons started, "and _you_ didn't do anything--"

"--why on earth are we here?”

With a quiet click, the door opened and Maria Hill walked in. “Great question, Agent Fitz.”

Eyes wide, the two younger agents glanced at each other, and Fitz froze, while Simmons brushed invisible lint off of her shirt and straightened her back. 

“Agent Hill!” Simmons started. “I, ah, we didn’t expect to be meeting you here! Why…?”

With a small smile, she rested one hand on the back of the chair at the head of the table. “The world is changing. A while ago, most people went to bed thinking the weirdest thing they’d see is a billionaire in a flying metal suit. Then aliens invaded New York, and they were beaten back by a costumed war hero from the 40’s, a giant green creature, and a god. That battle was the end of the world how we knew it, and it gave rise to the one we’re in now. The world, the people, the culture is different. People know about technology,” she glanced at Fitz, “biology,” to Simmons, “formulas that they couldn’t have imagined in their wildest dreams.”

The pair were quiet for a moment, waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, Fitz cleared his throat. “Well we’ve actually been working on this new technology together, we’re calling it the night-night gun for now; it’s like a regular gun, how you shoot it and all, but it just knocks people out instead. That’s how we got the name, “Night night!”, and it’s more practical than a taser, beca—Ow!” Simmons elbowed Fitz. “That better not bruise,” he muttered, massaging his ribs.

She smiled at Hill and regained her composure. “If you don’t mind me asking again, Agent Hill, why are Fitz and I here? If you wanted to know about our projects you’d have asked for a report.”

Hill crossed her arms. “You’ll have to ask Agent Coulson.” 

Simmons looked quickly over at Fitz, who rubbed the back of his neck, and then back to Hill. “We _are_ clearance level 5. We know what happened just before the Battle of New York. Agent Coulson was killed.”

Glancing at the one of the top corners of the room, Hill subtly nodded and then addressed the two agents in front of her. “You’re skipping level 6.”

“Wha—”

“I don’t und—”

The door clicked open once again, cutting them off. “Welcome to level 7.”

The air-conditioning whirred in the distance.

“How—”

“They said—”

“—through the chest—”

“—Loki’s scepter—”

Hill lifted her hand and they fell silent. “Director Fury has asked Agent Coulson to assemble a small, mobile team of specialists, and he has requested that you two, Agent Fitz and Agent Simmons, be included.”

A smile started to inch its way onto Simmons’s face, and she turned to see Fitz, jaw slack, staring at Hill. “Fitz!” she hissed. 

Blinking, he glanced over at her. “What?”

Cutting Simmons off, Coulson spoke. “Of course, you don’t have to decide right now. But if you could let us know soon…”

Fitz rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know, we’d have to think—”

“We’d love to!” Simmons exclaimed.

“Wha—” Fitz leaned forward. “Simmons!” he hissed. “What are you doing?”

“Relax, Fitz, it’ll be fine! It’ll be an adventure!” He still looked skeptical, and she sighed. “If you won’t go for the adventure, will you go for science?”

 

 

–––

 

 

A metal object clanged to the ground, and Simmons spun around to face Coulson, who was standing behind her, his face sad. Confused, she glanced down at the spoon on the floor, wondered how it had gotten there, then glanced back up at her commanding officer. Her hand flew to her mouth as he nodded. "I'm sorry."

The next few hours flew by in a blur, people rushing around, trying and failing to help, until finally Fitz barged into the lab, carrying the Chitauri helmet.

"What do you think you're _doing_?!" Simmons exclaimed. 

Fitz stared at her for a moment, out of breath. "You needed a host that was immune."

"Yes, but I don't need you getting infected too!"

"Guess you better make an effective antidote then.”

Simmons huffed and turned back to the counter. “Well if you insist on being in here, you may as well make yourself useful. Take a sample from the inside of the helmet for me, please.”

The hands on the clock slowly, relentlessly moved, until Simmons held up a glass vial of semi-clear liquid.

“Is that it?” Fitz asked hesitantly. 

Simmons nodded and forced her voice to steady before she spoke. “Do you have the injector?” 

Carefully grabbing it, Fitz walked quickly over to where she was standing. “Good thing Coulson finally let you keep those mice on board, right?” He forced a laugh.

Hands trembling, Simmons eased the vial into the slot. Carefully she removed the lid from the first mouse’s cage. Then she paused, hand poised to inject the cure.

Fitz leaned over. “Jemma?”

She glanced at him. “What if it doesn’t work?”

With what was supposed to be a reassuring smile, Fitz placed his hand on her shoulder. “Then we’ll try again. We’re scientists. We, science, won’t know if it works until you inject the mouse.”

She took a shaky breath. “Right.” Her hand didn’t move.

Fitz’s eyes softened. “Together?”

She nodded. “For science?” she whispered.

“For science.”

 

 

–––

 

 

“Hello-o? Earth to Jemma!” Daisy waved her hand in front of her friend’s face. “Anybody home?”

Simmons blinked and shifted her focus. 

“Did you hear _anything_ I was just saying?”

Simmons glanced down into her cranberry tea. “I’m so sorry, Daisy! I’ve just had… a lot on my mind lately, that’s all.”

“No duh, Sherlock. Care to share?”

“I, uh… I’d prefer not. It’s rather personal.”

Daisy raised her eyebrows. “I’d say you’re turning a rather personal shade of red there too.” She leaned forward. “Come on, Jemma! I’m your best friend here, apart from Fitz. You can tell me!”

“I don’t know…”

“Ple-ease?!” Daisy stuck out her bottom lip.

Simmons laughed. “Alright! You just have to promise not to tell anyone else.”

Widening her eyes, Daisy somehow stuck her lip out even further. “Nobody? Not even May?”

“ _Especially_ not May!” She glanced out the window into the corridor where people walked past, going about their duties on the base. Leaning forward, she lowered her voice. “Do you really promise?”

She smiled reassuringly. “I promise.”

Picking up her spoon to stir her tea, Simmons cleared her throat. “Do you remember the other day when we were all playing cards?”

“Yeah, when I whopped you all, and Hunter was a sore loser as always.” 

“Well, after that, Fitz and I… We were talking and…”

“Spit it out, girl! Before your face matches your tea!”

She glanced down in horror at her drink, and her hand flew to her face. “Am I really that red?!”

Daisy smirked. “Not quite, but at this rate it won’t take long!”

After taking a calming sip of tea, Simmons continued. “Well, we were talking, and we thought, well, we’ve known each other a long time, and Fitz already told me his feelings, and I knew my feelings, and so we…” She shrugged.

Daisy blinked. “You wha — OH! You and Fitz had—” She broke off into peals of laughter. “Oh my god you guys had SEX! I can’t believe it!”

“Shh! I don’t want the whole base knowing!” she hissed.

“I know, I know, but, you two! Finally! Oh, you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this. My two oblivious science nerds finally got together!”

Indignant at Daisy’s reaction, Simmons interrupted her. “It was all done in a very scientific manner! We’re conducting a science experiment. Of sorts.”

“A…” Daisy gasped for air. “A _science experiment_?” she exclaimed.

“Yes! Of whether or not two people like us who have known each other for so long can make this work.”

“A science… experiment. Oh my god you two are even more of dorks than I expected.”

Simmons huffed. “Well, like it or not, Fitz and I are going to make this work.”

Smiling, Daisy reached across the table and grabbed Simmons’s hand. “Oh no, I’m so frickin’ excited for you guys! I have no doubt you’ll make it work.”

Shoulders relaxing, Simmons squeezed Daisy’s hand back. “I’m glad you think so.”

Daisy laughed and shook her head. As she looked down to pick up her drink again, her watch snuck into the corner of her eye. “Oh, crap! I was supposed to meet May for training two minutes ago. We’ll talk about this more, Jemma, don’t worry!” Daisy said as she stood and put her mug by the sink. “See ya later!”

“Thank you, Daisy.”

“No problem! Oh, and by the way, wouldn’t deciding beforehand how an experiment turns out violate some scientific thing about unbiased experiments?”

Simmons rolled her eyes and laughed.

 

 

–––

 

 

Simmons startled and nearly dropped the vial she was holding, as arms wrapped around her middle from behind. “How’s my little science experiment doing?”

A wide smile broke across her face as she turned to face her husband. “The science experiment has been going wonderfully, Mr. Fitzsimmons. A little morning sickness, but nothing that a little time in the lab can’t fix.” She pecked him on the cheek. “Now, if you don’t mind, the science experiment’s carrier has an _actual_ science experiment to finish.”

Fitz smiled. “Only if you promise to go out to dinner with me tonight.”

Simmons smiled back at him. “If I must. Hopefully the science experiment won’t act up so much that I can’t.”

“I can always help you finish it up before we go.”

Stifling a laugh, Simmons shook her head. “The _other_ science experiment. The one that would be considerably more difficult for you to help me finish.”

“Oh, uh, right, the… the baby… I knew that.”

“Yes, Fitz, the baby science experiment.”

 

 

–––

 

 

_Journal entry #264_

_Science experiment failed._

 

 

–––

 

 

The last time, he said it, not her.

"Leo," she rasped, barely audible over the beeping and humming of the monitors.

He opened his eyes to look at her. "Yes, Jem?"

"Do you remember... back when we worked at SHIELD and we were on that team together?"

Leo smiled. "The Bus. Of course I remember."

"And when we were stuck under the ocean in that pod?"

"The first time I told you I loved you."

"We talked about what happens after..."

He nodded slowly. "I was so scared. Of dying and of loosing you."

Jemma was quiet for a moment. "Are you scared now?"

He ran his hand, trembling with age, over the quilt to smooth a stray wrinkle. With a sigh, he answered. "No, I'm not."

"I'm not either." She paused. "Well, maybe a little."

"Like you told me back then, there's nothing to be afraid of. You just become part of the circle of life.”

Jemma’s laugh turned into a cough. “Have you been watching Lion King with the neighborhood kids again?”

Leo smiled. “They love that movie; I can’t say no.” 

“You never could, could you? You spoil those kids too much.”

Leo brushed Jemma’s hair away from her face. “Maybe I do. I can’t help it though, can I, with no kids of our own.”

She sighed softly and let her eyes close. “No, I suppose you can’t,” she murmured. 

The room was quiet for a few minutes, and the laughing of kids playing in the streets drifted in through the partly open window. 

“Leo?”

“Hm?”

“What do you think it will be like after?”

Massaging his hand, Leo thought for a moment. “My mum always said that if you were good enough, you would go to heaven and be perfectly happy and peaceful.”

Jemma took a raspy breath. “Do you think that will happen to me?”

Leaning over, he kissed her forehead. "Of course," he whispered back. 

As he pulled away, coughs raked her frail body. Then, a small smile flitted across her face. "I guess I'll find out soon enough."

Jemma's eyes fell closed again and the monitors' beeping slowed as the hour passed. A distant, delighted scream came from the window from a child getting soaked by a watergun. 

"Jem?"

She didn't reply. 

"Jemma?" He placed his hand on her arm, and she opened her eyes, looking around the room, eyes glazed, first at the ceiling, then at the door. Finally she looked in his direction, and he smiled gently. “Hey.” 

Jemma blinked slowly and the smile fell from his face. “Jem? Can you hear me?”

Letting out a breath of air, her gaze rolled back to the ceiling and her eyelids drifted down. With a sniff, Leo futilely wiped at the droplet making its way down his face as two more escaped through his other eye. 

“I, ah… Let me know what it’s like, yeah?” He choked back a sob and reached to hold her hand. “For science?”

The corners of Jemma’s mouth curled slightly up. The room was quiet, save for a lone blackbird outside the window that sang for a few minutes before stopping when a long, level tone replaced the rhythmic beeping that had long since faded into the background. Bowing his head, Leo lifted her hand and kissed it, letting the tears fall freely onto her hand and the quilt, before gently placing it back on the bed.

 


End file.
